The quickest way to get from Arlanda Airport to the centre of Stockholm is by the Arlanda Express train, which takes 18 minutes.

However, FlixBus often offers the best value direct connection: if you book in advance, it costs from 59 sek and takes around 35 to 50 minutes to reach the main station.

The very cheapest option is the public transport bus to Märsta and a connecting commuter train for 43 sek. However, due to the change and the journey taking over an hour, this is mainly worthwhile if the FlixBus is more expensive or if you already have a season ticket for Stockholm’s public transport.

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Transport	When to choose it	Journey time	Price	Frequency
FlixBus	Best value for money	35 to 50 minutes	from 59 sek	20 to 60 minutes
Arlanda Express	The quickest way to Stockholm Central	18 minutes	340 sek	12 to 15 minutes
Flygbussarna	More stops in Stockholm	40 to 50 minutes	129 sek	15 to 30 minutes
Mälartåg	A fast train that’s cheaper than the Arlanda Express	about 20 minutes	220 sek	60 minutes
Pendeltåg	Direct journey to the southern parts of Stockholm	about 40 minutes	200 sek	30 minutes
Bus 583/579 + Commuter train	The very cheapest option	65 to 75 minutes	43 sek	15 to 30 minutes

The prices shown are for a one-way adult ticket. FlixBus prices vary depending on occupancy and the date of travel.

Which transport option from Arlanda should you choose?

• If you want to travel cheaply and without changing trains, check FlixBus first. If the price is 59 sek or similar, this is the best option for most travellers.
• If you’re in a hurry: the Arlanda Express will take you to Stockholm Central in 18 minutes. The cheaper Pendeltåg is also a good option.
• If you want to pay as little as possible: take bus 583 to Märsta and then continue by commuter train. The whole journey costs 43 sek.
• Travelling at night: Vy Flygbussarna buses have the longest operating hours. Once public transport has finished running, your options are a taxi, Uber or Bolt.
• Travelling in a group: compare the Arlanda Express group ticket with a taxi. For a group of four, the price difference is minimal.

Trains to Stockholm

The railway is the fastest way to get to central Stockholm and, with a change, to travel throughout Sweden. There are two types of train you can use.

Arlanda Express and Mälartåg

Express trains, which take 18 and 19 minutes respectively to reach Stockholm Central Station without stopping, are operated by two separate companies: Arlanda Express and Mälartåg.

You can buy a ticket online atarlandaexpress.comor GetYourGuide.com(no date is required; the ticket is valid for all services until you use it), or atmalartag.se(you must specify a particular service, but you can use it for a later service on the same day). With both operators, you can also buy a ticket from a ticket machine, where payment is by card only.

• Arlanda Express – 340 sek one-way/ 640 sek return
  • Group discount for 2 – 460 sek one-way / 920 sek return
  • Group discount for 4 – 700 sek one-way / 1 400 sek return
• Mälartåg – 220 sek one-way (no discount available on return tickets)

Arlanda Express trains run three times an hour and stop at the ‘Arlanda Norra’ (Terminals 4/5) and ‘Arlanda Södra’ (Terminals 2/3) stations at the airport.

Mälartåg trains run only once an hour and stop at Arlanda Central station beneath the SkyCity terminal.

• Journey time to Stockholm C – 18minutes
• Fare – 340 sek / 640 sek return ticket for Arlanda Express, or 218 sek for Mälartåg (group discount for 2 people available only on Arlanda Express)
• Frequency – 15–30minutes (3 services per hour) on the Arlanda Express, or 60 minutes on the Mälartåg
• First service from Stockholm C – 4.20 (Arlanda Express)
• Last service from the airport – 1.05 am (Arlanda Express)

Whilst the Arlanda Express always starts and ends at Stockholm C station, Mälartåg runs all the way to the city of Örebro.

Pendeltåg local trains

Both regular local trains operated by Stockholm’s transport authority SL (known as Pendeltåg) and long-distance trains operated by Swedish Railways (SJ) stop at the airport. Please note that a ticket purchased for the ‘Pendeltåg’ on line 40 cannot be used on SJ InterCity trains, and vice versa.

However, ticket prices to the airport are higher than standard fares within the city, and day passes or multi-day passes for Stockholm cannot be used on direct SJ or SL trains.

SJ / SL trains stop at Arlanda Central station beneath the SkyCity terminal.

Tickets for ‘Pendeltåg’ trains on line 40

You can buy a ticket at the ticket office at the station entrance or via the SL mobile app (Google Play / App Store). Tickets can also be purchased via the Swedish Railways (SJ) website, although a surcharge of 23 Swedish kronor applies.

• Journey time to Stockholm C – 38 minutes
• Fare – 200 sek
• Frequency – every 30 minutes
• First departure from Stockholm C – 4.08
• Last service from the airport – 0:43

If you already have a season ticket for Stockholm, you’ll need to pay the difference at the airport 157 sek.

The journey takes 38 minutes, as trains on line 40 stop at several stations along the way. The advantage of the Pendeltåg line 40 is that it continues from Stockholm C station to the southern parts of Stockholm without the need to change trains; see the map below.

Tickets for SJ trains

You can also use SJ intercity trains to travel to the city centre, but tickets at the airport can only be purchased via the sj.se website or the SJ mobile app, and they are also more expensive than tickets for Line 40 trains.

• from 185 sek

Take a look at our guide to rail travel, not just in Sweden:

• Trains and transport in Sweden
• How much does everything cost in Sweden?

Buses to Stockholm

There are two main bus operators.

FlixBus: cheap and direct to the city centre

FlixBus is no longer just an occasional alternative to airport buses. It offers dozens of daily services between Arlanda and Stockholm, and if you book in advance, a ticket costs from 59 sek.

At the lowest price, you’ll pay just 16 sek more than you would for the slower journey by public transport via Märsta, but you’ll travel without having to change buses and save about half an hour.

The buses stop at Terminals 2, 4 and 5. In Stockholm, depending on the specific service, they serve stops such as Järva Krog, Frösundu, Haga Norra, Norra Stationsgatan, S:t Eriksplan and the terminus at Cityterminalen next to the main station.

The fastest services reach Cityterminalen in around 35 minutes; with more stops or heavy traffic, you should allow 45 to 50 minutes.

You buy a ticket for a specific departure. However, an airport ticket is also valid on the same route 12 hours before or 12 hours after your booked time, provided there is space available on the selected bus. This is useful in the event of a flight delay.

• Journey time: approximately 35 to 50 minutes
• Frequency: usually every 20 to 60 minutes, with over 40 services a day in total
• Fare: from 59 sek, with fares tending to be higher as the departure time approaches
• Service from the airport: approximately from 5.00 am to 10.30 pm
• Buy a ticket: FlixBus.com

Always check the terminal, boarding point and destination shown on your ticket before paying.

Flygbussarna

Vy Flygbussarna buses offer more frequent services to central Stockholm on three different routes. You’ll find the airport stops in front of Terminal 2/3.

A single ticket costs 129 sek, but for more distant stops (e.g. Brommaplan) the price is 139 sek.

Buy a ticket – Flygbussarna.se

Flygbussarna has the advantage over the train or Flixbus in that it offers more routes and thus serves a large part of Stockholm with direct services.

Flygbussarna routes:

• Arlanda – Cityterminalen (Stockholm city centre): from 3.00 to 2.10, every 15 minutes (every 30 minutes in the morning and evening)
• Arlanda – Liljeholmen: from 4.00 to 23.55 at 30-minute intervals
• Arlanda – Brommaplan: from 3.55 am to 11.35 pm every 60 minutes

Ideally, buy your tickets online via the websites of both companies.

• flygbussarna.se/en/arlanda (Purchased without specifying a date or time, and valid for 3 months from the date of purchase on any service)
• flixbus.com (Tickets must be purchased for a specific journey)

As well as the terminus stops, Flygbussarna buses also stop at several other locations in Stockholm, such as Järva Krog, Frösunda and Norra.

• Journey time to the city centre – 45–50 minutes
• Fare – from 95 sek for Flixbus, or 129 sek for Flygbussarna
• Frequency – every 15–30 minutes (Flygbussarna); irregular, approx. 10–13 times a day (Flixbus)
• First service from Stockholm C – 3.00 am (Flygbussarna)
• Last service from the airport – 2.10 am (Flygbussarna)

The cheapest route via Märsta station

The cheapest, though longest, route to the city centre and the northern parts of Stockholm is by bus number 583 or 579to the nearby Märsta railway station, followed by suburban train line 41.

A ticket 43 sek is valid for 75 minutes and is sufficient for a journey to central Stockholm. The zoned fare system for individual tickets has been abolished, so the ticket is valid throughout the entire area served by public transport.

You can conveniently pay for a single-journey ticket using your contactless payment card by tapping it on the validator inside the bus or on the platform at the train station (including when changing trains).

However, when paying by card, no daily limits are applied, so if you wish to use a 24-hour ticket, it is better value to buy it via the mobile app or at a ticket office.

Multi-day tickets can also be used for this combination of transport (bus 583/579 + trains from Märsta station):

• 24 hours for 180 sek
• 72 hours for 370 sek
• A complete guide to fares in Stockholm

You can buy a ticket as a physical card at the SL ticket office in the arrivals terminal or, much more conveniently, via the SL mobile app (available at: Google Play / App Store).

The journey takes 60–70 minutes in total, with buses on route 583 running every 15 minutes; trains 40 and 41 from Märsta to Stockholm C run more frequently.

• Timetables for buses 583 or579
• Pendeltåg 40 train timetable
• Pendeltåg 41 train timetable

The first service from Stockholm C to Märsta leaves at 4.08 am (the train goes directly to the airport, but there is a surcharge on the total fare 181 sek). The last service on bus 579 from the airport leaves at 12.34 am.

Find out everything you need to know about public transport in Stockholm and beyond.

• 22 places to see in Stockholm
• Public transport ticket prices
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Where to stay for your journey to the airport

If you’re leaving from the city centre in the morning, look for a hotel near Stockholm Central and Cityterminalen. The Arlanda Express, FlixBus and Flygbussarna all depart from there, so you won’t need to worry about taking the metro or a taxi across town first.

• Comfort Hotel Xpress Stockholm Central – a more affordable hotel right next to Cityterminalen, convenient for all airport buses and the Arlanda Express
• Scandic Continental – situated opposite the main railway station; trains and buses are just a few minutes’ walk away

For flights early in the morning or after midnight, it’s often more convenient to stay overnight at Arlanda itself:

• Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport Terminal – a hotel right inside SkyCity; you can walk from your room to the terminals within the building; breakfast is served from 4.00 am
• Comfort Hotel Arlanda Airport Terminal – generally a cheaper option, just a few dozen metres from SkyCity

Compare hotels near Arlanda Airport

Map of transport links to Stockholm

To the city of Uppsala

The university town of Uppsala is situated north of the airport and is roughly the same distance as Stockholm city centre; it is accessible throughout the day by bus and train.

Train

The most common way to get to Uppsala is by the Pendeltåg line 40, which runs every 30 minutes. The journey to Uppsala C station takes 19 minutes and a ticket costs 179 sek.

The last train from the airport to Uppsala leaves at 00:46, and the first train from Uppsala to the airport leaves at 04:26.

Timetables and the option to buy tickets online can be found on the Swedish Railways website atwww.sj.se.

Mälartågtrainsrunto Uppsala just as quickly as Pendeltåg trains, but only once an hour. The advantage is a lower ticket price 174 sek. Timetables and online ticket purchases can be found on the websitemalartag.se/en.

Flixbus (the cheapest option)

Flixbus usually offers the lowest fares between Arlanda Airport and Uppsala. Prices are determined by occupancy and start at 88 sek.

However, this mode of transport is the least frequent: buses run on this route only 6 times a day.

• Buy a ticket at flixbus.com

Regional bus

A cheaper option is to take Uppsala public transport bus route 801. The journey takes 50 minutes and buses run every half hour.

You’ll need a 5-zone ticket for the bus, which costs 165 sek when purchased from a ticket machine or via the UL mobile app (available at Google Play / App Store). A ticket bought from the driver costs 210 sek. The journey takes 50 minutes and buses run every half hour.

Information on timetables and services in Uppsala can be found on the websitewww.ul.se.

Bus + train combination

As with the journey to Stockholm, the cheapest way to travel to Uppsala is by taking bus number 583 or 579 to Märsta station and then continuing by SJ Regional train.

Buses 583 and 579 run every 15 minutes, whilst the train runs only once an hour. The bus fare is 39 sek (pay by tapping your own card on the validator inside the bus), whilst the train fare is 55 sek. Tickets can be purchased online atwww.ul.se. You can also use the mobile app (available at Google Play / App Store) or from a ticket machine at the station.

Car hire

If you’re planning a road trip around Sweden, hiring a car directly at the airport is the ideal option. Arlanda Airport is situated right next to one of Sweden’s main motorways.

Prices for a week’s hire in summer start at 250 eur, and in the off-season from 200 eur.

Compare prices – book a car

Taxis, Uber and Bolt

Depending on traffic, the journey by car to Stockholm city centre takes around 35 to 50 minutes.

Prices vary amongst airport taxi services, but licensed taxis are permitted to charge a maximum of825 sek for a journey from Arlanda to the designated central zone for 1 to 4 passengers. For a vehicle carrying 5 to 8 passengers, the maximum fare is 1 300 sek.

Only use cars marked ‘Taxi’ or ‘Approved Taxi’ from the official taxi ranks in front of Terminals 2 and 5. Do not accept offers from drivers who approach passengers inside the arrivals hall. Before getting in, make sure you agree on a fixed final price.

Both Uber and Bolt operate at Arlanda. The usual fare to the city centre is around 500 to 650 sek, but depending on demand, destination and type of car, it may be lower or significantly higher. You will always see the exact amount in the app before booking.

For a single traveller, the bus is cheaper. For a group of three or four people, an Uber, Bolt or taxi may be similar in price to a group ticket on the Arlanda Express, and will also take you directly to your hotel.

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